Article timing device



ARTIQLE T IMING DEVICE Filed March 4, 1939 i 30 58 I 17 f 37 J8 Z4 1 z I i Q 28 f a 41 V v 2 25 J9 I 3mm J fie'ofizri ISM J4 fie/7r fiTUv/Lz;

GAMMA Patented Jan. 4, 1944 ARTICLE TIMING DEVICE Robert J. Stewart and Henry H. Franz, Baltimore, Md., assignors to Crown Cork & Seal Company, Inc., Baltimore, Md., a corporation of New York Application March 4, 1939, Serial No. 259,896

'1 Claims. (01. 198-22) The present invention relates to means for timing the movement of articles upon conveyors.

Containers are ordinarily delivered to machines such as filling and sealing machines by means of a straight-line conveyor which conducts the containers to a pocketed infeed dial synchronized with the filling machine. It is highly desirable to have a timing device associated with the conveyor to insure that the feed of containers therefrom will be properly synchronized with the infeed dial to prevent jamming of the containers at the infeed dial, since, when such a timing device is used, the containers can be positioned at random on the conveyor, thereby elimmating the necessity of any careful attention by an operator.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an article timing device which is of extreme simplicity and which is particularly adapted to enable articles to be fed at proper intervals from a straight line conveyor to a dial or other article-engaging element including pockets or simi lar article engaging portions.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and drawing, in which drawing Figure 1 shows the device of the present invention in plan view in normal position.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View on the line 22 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing the device in retracted position.

For purposes of illustration, the drawing discloses the device of the present inventionapplied to a bottle-filling machine including a stationary work table 8 and a rotating filling table. A com tinuously moving straight-line infeed conveyor III moves across the work table 8, and a continuously rotating and pocketed dial II receives bot-.

tles from conveyor I and successively positions them on bottle platforms I2 carried by the filling table. The dial II is fixed to and rotates with a vertical shaft I3, the rotation of the dial I I and the filling table 9 being synchronized. As best shown in Figure 2, the shaft I3 which carries the dial II is hollow and rotates about a stationary post I4.

The device of the present invention comprises a container-engaging arm I 6 pivotally mounted upon a post or support I1, and a latch arm I8 mounted for swinging movement upon a post or second support I9, the position of the latch arm I8 with respect to the container-engaging arm It being determined by a cam 20 including alternate rises 2I and dwells 22, cam 20 being adapted to rotate with the dial II.

The container-engaging arm I6 includes a hub portion 23 which encloses the post I1, and the arm is normally urged to the position shown in Figure 1 by means of a coil spring 24 which surrounds the hub portion 23 and has one end secured to the arm I6 as shown in Figure 2, the other end ofthe spring being secured to a flange 25 of post H.

The post I'I extends through an aperture in a base plate 28, which plate is secured to the work table 8 of the filling machine, In the normal position of arm I6 shown in Figure l, a stop shoulder 26 on arm I6 contacts with a stop pin 21 which extends up from the base plate 28. The extreme lower portion of post I1 is threaded to receive a nut 29 as shown in Figure 2. It will be observed from Figure 2 that post IT has a kerf at its lower end so that when the nut 29 is loosened, the post may be slightly rotated to adjust the tension of spring 24, and the nut re-tightened. Also, post I1 is cut away as at I'Ia to reduce the bearing surface of the hub 23 on the post, and the upper end of the post is rounded for the same purpose.

The inner face of arm I6 is grooved as indicated at 30 in FigureZ, and a detent 3| positioned in this groove is pivotally mounted upon a riveted pin 32 provided intermediate the length of the detent. Detent Si is normally held in the position indicated in Figure 1 by reason of the fact that a flat spring 34 bears upon the outer surface of the inner end of the detent, spring 34 being secured to arm it by means of a set screw 35. As shown in Figure 1, the oppositeinner edge of detent 3| is preferably beveled and is held against the inner wall of groove 30, thereby limiting the clockwise turning movement of the detent upon its pin 32.

The detent 3| overlies the post I9, and. its outer end is normally adapted to contact with a flatsided pin 38 projecting upwardly from the latch I3. When the latch I8 is in its normal position, a pin 40 depending from the latch abuts against a [pin 4| extending upwardly from the base plate 23, latch I8 being urged to this position by a coil spring 42 which surrounds a collar 43 clamped between the undersurface of the head of post I9- and the base plate 28. One end of coil spring 42 is secured to collar 43 and its opposite end bears against pin 40 which, as stated above, is fixed to latch arm I8.

In the operation of the device, the containerenga'ging arm--16 will project over the conveyor- It, as shown in Figure 1, the pin 38 on latch l8 then being directly behind the detent 3|. Spring 42 holds latch I 8 against pin 4|, and spring 24 urges bottle-engaging arm IS in a clockwise direction to hold its shoulder 26 against stop pin 21. Since the parts are thus locked in the position shown in Figure 1, containers moving with the straight line conveyor II] will be held to the left of arm IS, with the leading container contacting with the arm.

Rotation of the dial H and the cam 26 carried thereby in a counter-clockwise direction will bring one of the rises 2| of the cam in contact with the free end of latch 18 just as one of the pockets of dial ll approaches the straight line conveyor ill, with the result that the latch I8 will swing in a clockwise direction, moving pin 38 from behind the detent 3|. The pressure of at least the leading container on the conveyor I-ll will then cause the arm I 6 to be swung in a counter-clockwise direction and out of the path of that container as shown in Figure 3 so that the conveyor in may move the container into the now opposed pocket of dial I1. .As the leading container thus moves by the arm 16, the tip of the arm will wipe along the wall of the container because of the turning pressure exerted on the arm by the comparatively light spring 24. By the time that the container has entirely cleared the arm IE, and before a second container can move past arm IS, the rise 2| of cam 20 will have moved out of contact with the free end of latch 18 so that the container-engaging arm [6 will again be momentarily locked in the position shown in Figure l, holding the next container against forward movement until a pocket of the dial H is in proper position with respect to conveyor ill. The provision of the pivoted detent 3| on arm Hi will permit the arm to return from the retracted position :shown in Figure 3 to the position shown in Figure 1 regardless of the position of the pin '38. That is, the detent 3| may turn on the rivet 32 to wipe past the pin 38 if pin 38 happens to be somewhat in the path of return movement of the latch.

As is clearly shown in the drawing, the conta'iner engaging arm l6 and latch [8 move horizontally and the entire structure may be positioned above the table 8 where it is available for adjustment, lubrication and inspection. Also, with the entire structure above table '20, no supports for bearing need be provided except upon the upper surface of the table or on the plate 28. The horizontal arrangement of members I26 and i8 and their direct relation with each other and with cam Ell also simplifies the structure in that it, reduces the. number of elements necessary in the device.

It will be noted thatwhile the mechanism described above is of extreme simplicity, it is fully adjustable and quite positive in its control of :artielse, and cannot itself become jammed in any intermediate position.

Theterminology used in the specification is for purposes of description, the scope of the invention. beingindicated in the following claims.

We claim:

'1. In a timing device for :articles moving upon conveyors, a support adapted to be positioned adjacent the conveyor, a spring-urged arm on said support projecting forwardly over the conveyor, a latch arm normally locking said first arm in its spring-urged position, said latch arm being adapted to be swung from engagement with said spring-urged arm so that an article may swing the latter rearwardly, and a pivoted detent carried by one of said arms and adapted to bear against said other arm.

2. In a timing device for articles moving upon conveyors, a support adapted to be positioned adjacent the conveyor, an arm pivoted above said support and spring-urged to normally project forwardly over the conveyor in a horizontal plane, a latch member pivoted above said support and including a portion horizontally and arcuately movable above said support to normally engage said arm and lock the'latter in its springurged position, said latch being adapted to be swung from engagement with said arm so that an article may swing the latter rearwardly.

3. In combination, a conveyor, a pocketed rotary dial adapted to receive articles from said conveyor, and a timing device for controlling the movement of articles from said conveyor to said dial comprising a support, a spring-urged arm on said support normally projecting forwardly over the conveyor, a pivoted latch member normally lockingsaid arm in its spring-urged position, said dial having a cam member moving therewith to move said latch arm out of locking relation with respect to said spring-urged arm so that an article on the conveyor may swing the latter rear- Wardly, and a pivoted detent carried by said spring-urged arm. and adapted to normally abut against said latch member.

4. A device for controlling the movement of containers by a conveyor comprising an arcuately movable gate normally projecting into the path of container travel .and movable from said path by container pressure, said gate having a rearwa-rdly disposed shoulder, an arcuately movable latch having a shoulder adapted to positively secure said gate in said projecting position by engagement with said gate shoulder, resilient means maintaining said gate and said latch in engagement with each other and opposing disengagement thereof, and a rotatable ,cam adjoining said latch and adapted to directly engage said latch to move the latter from engagement with said gate at predetermined intervals to permit movement of a container past said gate during each period of disengagement.

5. In combination, a support, a conveyor, a pocketed rotary dial to receive articles from said conveyor, said conveyor and dial being mounted upon said support, a horizontally movable arm pivoted on and above said support and springurged to normally project over said conveyor, an arcuately and horizontally movable latch member pivoted on and above said support to normally engage and lock said arm in its spring-urged position, said latch member including an integral cam-engaging portion, said dial having a cam moving therewith to engage said portion of said latch member to :move the latch member out of locking relation to said spring-urged arm so that an article on the conveyor may swing the arm rearwardly.

6. A device for controlling the movement of containers by a conveyor comprising an arcuately movable container arresting member normally projecting into the path of container travel and movable from said path by container pressure, a second arcuately movable member normally engaging said arresting member to retain the latter in said projecting position, said two menately movable members being movable horiZon-' tally, resilient means maintaining said arresting member and said securing member in engagement with each other and opposing disengage- I ment thereof, and rotatable means for disengaging said two members to permit movement of said arresting member from said container path at predetermined intervals, said rotatable means directly engaging said second member.

7. In combination, a support, means for conveying containers across said support and means mounted on said support to receive containers from said conveying means, means for controlling the movement of containers from said conveying means to said receiving means comprising an arcuately movable container arresting member normally projecting into the path of container travel on said conveying means and movable from said path by an arrested container, an arcuately movable member for positively securing said arresting member in said projecting position by engagement therewith, said two arouately movable members being mounted on said support for horizontal movement parallel to and above the latter, resilient means maintaining said arresting member and said securing member in engagement with each other and opposing disengagement thereof, and rotatable means adjoining said securing member and adapted to periodically contact with the latter to disengage it from said arresting member in timed relationship with presentation of said container receiving means in receiving position and thereby permit movement of a container past said arresting member during said periods of disengagement.

ROBERT J. STEWART. HENRY H. FRANZ. 

